India and Woman’s Suffrage.

THE colossal ignorance of Indian institutions and Indian ways of thought which still prevails in Great Britain would be amusing if it did not have a serious bearing. During the debate on Woman's Suffrage Sir Frederick Banbury in opposing the constitution of a woman electorate pointed to "the 300,000,000 Orientals who distrusted government by women," and warned the House not to take a step which would "undoubtedly destroy our influence over our great Empire." This is a travesty of India's mental attitude in the matter, and can only have its root in the notion that Indians were a nation half removed from savages, who were dead to higher impulses and to whom every step in reform was anathema. Perhaps Sir Banbury would open his eyes wide if he were told that India attained to the zenith of culture and civilisation ages before light went to European countries, and that no land has higher respect for womanhood than this.